14 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend

The Cotton and Reed distillery near Union Market celebrates its anniversary on Sunday with guest bartenders, special cocktails and the release of a new barrel-aged rum. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

ByGoing Out Guide staff

November 8, 2018

Friday, Nov. 9

Catharsis on the Mall: If your appetite wasn’t sated from merely viewing the art at the Renwick Gallery’s “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” (on display through January), check out Catharsis on the Mall. The three-day event was founded in 2015 on the 10 principles of Burning Man, its Nevada desert-based inspiration, and seeks to engage the community through healing by means of art and expression. Expect to connect with psychedelic art pieces centered on this year’s theme of “Waking From the American Dream,” and be sure to witness the centerpiece “Temple Burn.” Through Sunday. Free.

‘Sea Monsters Unearthed’ at the National Museum of Natural History: Go back in time millions of years to the era of mosasaurs, also known as giant marine lizards (or, yes, sea monsters). The National Museum of Natural History’s new Sant Ocean Hall exhibit, called “Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas,” reveals fossils of colossal Cretaceous marine reptiles on public display for the first time. The waters along Africa’s southwest coast once teemed with the ferocious predators and other sea life, and the museum is showing off animations, murals and full-scale reconstructions of these creatures from the ancient ocean. Through 2020. Free.

The Emporiyum at Dock 5 at Union Market: At the Emporiyum, you can eat a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich from Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, wash it down with a sundae from Nicecream and then stock up on Blue Crate oat milk and kombucha from Blue Ridge Bucha to take home. The artisanal food marketplace is back at Union Market with more than 95 vendors from the D.C. area and across the country. A DJ makes it feel like a party as you shop, and samples will be available, too. Through Sunday. $15-$80.

Rodarte at the National Museum of Women in the Arts: Two of the stars in the American luxury fashion world are the sisters behind Rodarte. Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s work debuted in 2005, and they’ve had prominent collaborations with such household retailers as Gap and Target. The California-born sisters will be the subject of the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ first fashion exhibition, which will feature the clothes as they were seen on the runway. Get an early look at the exhibition at an after-hours party on Friday; the ticket includes light refreshments and an open bar. Friday from 8 to 11 p.m.; exhibit open to public Saturday through Feb. 10, 2019. Friday’’s opening party: $40-$150. General admission: $10.

Snoop Dogg in ‘Redemption of a Dogg’ at the Warner Theatre: A quarter-century ago, Snoop Dogg was one of the most prominent faces on the burgeoning L.A. gangsta rap scene, sneering rhymes about the hardened street life that shaped him. These days, the most dangerous thing you’re likely to see the 47-year-old rap legend do is use a knife improperly as he dices onions with Martha Stewart on VH1’s “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.” Time and fame have warped the man behind “Gin and Juice” into an almost family-friendly figure, with his latest endeavor positing him as a man of God: He’s now starring in a semi-autobiographical musical, “Redemption of a Dogg,” with reality-television star Tamar Braxton. The touring show, which stops at the Warner Theatre this weekend, features music from Snoop’s latest album, the gospel-leaning “Bible of Love,” as well as some of his classic hits. Through Sunday. $69.50-$79.50.

Saturday, Nov. 10

College Park Blues Festival at Ritchie Coliseum: The D.C. Blues Society’s annual concert in College Park is part celebration of the blues, part pass-the-hat fundraiser. While the headliners are California guitarist James Armstrong — a traditionalist in the Albert Collins mold — and local Johnny and the Headhunters, the lineup also features Carly Harvey’s Kiss and Ride, the winner of the Blues Society’s Battle of the Bands, and Matt Kelley and Ian Walters, who took first place in the competition’s Duo battle. They’ve booked their places at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, but they need help paying for tickets to get there. The event features food, drinks, vendors and prizes, as well as a solid night of music. 6 to 11 p.m. Free.

International holiday markets: Seasonal markets pop up all over the region at this time of year, but if you’re looking for an only-in-Washington experience, you can pick up the perfect gifts at one of D.C.’s international bazaars and enjoy some culture while you’re at it. Head to the Embassy of the Czech Republic between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to find glass ornaments and tableware handblown in the Czech Republic, while sipping mulled wine, eating seasonal cookies and pastries, and listening to children singing traditional carols. The Royal Danish Embassy sponsors the annual Danish Christmas Bazaar at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Rockville, which offers cooking demonstrations, activities for children — including a Lego table! — and a deli serving Danish sandwiches, in addition to tables full of vendors. Doors are open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’re bracing for winter, the Icelandic Association of Washington D.C.’s Christmas Bazaar in Fairfax stocks warm woolen sweaters, mittens and blankets, as well as candy and jewelry. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there’s live music and those famous Icelandic hot dogs once shopping is over. Free.

Hellbender anniversary party and can release: Hellbender Brewing turns four this weekend, and the Fort Totten brewery is planning a celebration with the release of two canned beers — Chazzwazzer Imperial IPA and Groundskeeper Scotch Ale aged in One Eight Distilling whiskey barrels. Taps will flow all afternoon, while Cipolla Rossa serves wood-fired pizza, Virginia’s Sapidus Farms shucks oysters and the team from the Arcade screen prints custom Hellbender T-shirts. Tickets include one beer. Noon to 7 p.m. $10.

Pray for Snow Pre-Season Bash at REI: Yes, the goal of REI’s ‘80s- and ‘90s-themed Pray for Snow party is to sell ski equipment. But there’s much more to do than shop. Watch ski and snowboard films, learn how to make simple repairs to your gear, hit the hot chocolate bar, purchase beer and Sloppy Mama’s barbecue, and dance to DJ Smudge. Anyone wearing retro ski outfits can participate in a fashion show to win prizes. 5 to 8 p.m. Free.

Sunday, Nov. 11

Remembering World War I at the National Museum of American History: The Smithsonian’s major commemoration of the Great War is a day-long event that will include reenactors; 15-minute “lightning talks” on how the war changed American society; displays of historic objects that are usually kept in storage; and hands-on family activities. The museum’s theater will screen veteran-related films all weekend, and there are multiple World War I exhibits throughout the museum, including “Uniformed Women in the Great War” and “Advertising War: Selling Americans on World War I.” 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free, except for the film screenings.

Bluejacket anniversary party: Five years after opening near the Navy Yard, Bluejacket has become a fixture in the neighborhood, with an impressive list of lagers, sour ales and IPAs rotating through its draft lines. But Bluejacket’s reputation has also been spreading beyond its walls, thanks to a growing number of beers released in cans and bottles. The fifth anniversary hits both sides of this divide: Customers can enjoy $5 drafts beginning at 11 a.m., while the bottle shop has two new releases. The headliner is the annual release of Double Mexican Radio, an imperial sweet stout brewed with chile peppers, cocoa nibs, cinnamon and vanilla, and aged in a mix of bourbon barrels for six months. Debuting in bottles is Mad World, an imperial stout brewed with Vigilante Coffee and aged in a similar mix of bourbon barrels. Those who want something beyond beer can order food from a grill on the patio, listen to live music, or watch a live taping of the “Foodie and the Beast” radio show from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free; food and beers priced individually.

Cotton and Reed anniversary bash: D.C.'s first rum distillery marks its second anniversary with the release of Spice as Nice, a blend of spiced rum and allspice dram aged in bourbon barrels. Bartenders from around some of D.C.'s top cocktail bars will be making guest appearances at the tasting room near Union Market, pouring original cocktails using Cotton and Reed products. Noon to midnight. Free; drinks priced individually.

6LACK at the Anthem: Although 6LACK — pronounced “Black” — often gets lumped in with his geographical brethren in Atlanta’s booming trap scene, his kindred musical influence might hail from the North. Words ooze out of 6LACK’s mouth in a pillowy, drug-stunted haze, seemingly under the influence of Canadian R&B singer the Weeknd. (The Atlanta artist also thuds into the similar pitfalls of blaming the indignities of life on the women who just can’t please him enough.) But on his latest album, “East Atlanta Love Letter,” 6LACK is most effective on the pop-flavored tracks, including “Switch,” when he ramps up the backing track and lets his voice gently float into your ears. 6:30 p.m. $40-$129.

Kiiara at U Street Music Hall: Landing a song in an Apple ad isn’t the star-launching event it used to be, but it still gets the job done. Last year, singer Kiiara’s breakout single, “Gold,” sneaked up the charts after being featured in a commercial for the Apple Watch. The song announces itself with a persistently glitchy mosaic of vocal modulations and pulsing drum machines, but it’s the 23-year-old Illinois native’s whispered, melodic lullabies that propel the song to the finish line. That atmospheric voice has also served Kiiara well in other settings. The most notable guest appearance in her young career was “Heavy,” a 2017 single in which she played the foil to pleading howls from the late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington. 7 p.m. $20.